Borrowing a phrase from John Gray at Going Gently. The book club meeting was a pretty nice visit/sharing. I enjoyed it. It is not something that I get to do much of, just sit and visit with other women. We talked about our books, we ate our salads. It was fun.
Next month's assignment: 'Read a funny book.'
I've been looking up funny books and have found that many of them just don't sound funny to me. I throw the question out into the big wide blog world. Funny book suggestions?
Answers on a post card.
Any of the James Herriot books about a vet's life are funny, though perhaps a little outdated. Humour is very subjective, though.
ReplyDeleteI love those books.
DeleteI enjoyed Richard Osman's The Thursday Murder Club. It has a lot of humor in it and is an easy read.
ReplyDeleteDuly noted. I think that an 'easy' read might fit life right now. There is a lot going on.
DeleteI like this question! I'm assuming you mean something more sophisticated than "Big Bird's big red book" ... (!). I second the James Herriot suggestion - sweet, good-tempered humour - I shall have to dig my copy out from wherever it is hiding in the 2nd row of books on the bookshelf. I am not sure that murder-mysteries should be classed as "funny" - but Osman's books, or S.J. Bennett's (the Windsor knot - the Queen of England solves mysteries...) or Donna Andrews' books are very enjoyable with a lot of humour in them. Otherwise Connie Willis' books are farcical and fun (Bellwether is one of her shortest and is very sweet) but they are very much "shaggy dog" stories, which can be frustrating if you are not in the mood. - Cat
ReplyDeleteI find a lot of the 'humor books' targeted at women seem to be all about middle aged women, life deconstructs, they rebuild life, funny experiences in the dating pool, happy ending.
DeleteNot exactly my style.
I looked at Connie WIllis stuff. I think that I'm going to give 'To Say Nothing of the Dog' a try. That looks fun. I found a copy of it on Better World Books. It is in my cart as we speak.
Humour is so subjective!
ReplyDeleteI remember enjoying Spike Milligan's "Puckoon" many years ago....
I read the reviews of it, and it too is added to my shopping cart at Betterworldbooks.
DeleteIf you like mountain tall tales, Bill Lepp's books are hilarious. Multi-time winner of the WV State Liars Contest.
ReplyDeleteOkay. He is not available at Betterworld, but I went to his website. Bill Lepp sounds a lot like Patrick McManus, and the menfolk in our family roared over his books. I think I have Tim's birthday gift taken care of. I may have his son's birthday and Christmas gifts lined up as well. Thanks for that suggestion.
DeleteMoby dick
ReplyDeleteYou thought that book was funny? It's been too long since I read that book I guess.
DeleteLamb: The Gospel According to Biff, Christ's Childhood Pal by Christopher Moore is the story of the "missing years" of Jesus. Funny & absolutely irreverent. So many laugh-out-loud pages, and yep, some folks may be offended by the premise of the book.
ReplyDeleteAdded it to my cart.
DeleteI'm not good at name recall, so am sitting this one out.
ReplyDeleteLOL. I know the feeling.
Delete"The Lust Lizard of Melancholy Cove" by Christopher Moore. Lamb, see above, is also good.
ReplyDeleteWhat a crazy sounding story. That's one added to the library list.
DeleteI second Gwynneth (ook) about subjectivity. I can think of books in different settings, about different kinds of people, of different ages, in different locations, all of which I've found funny at some times, but not at others.
ReplyDeleteOh, it just gives me ideas to look at. When I try to google 'funny stories, I get a lot of young adults/coming of age things. If I add 'adult', google seems to know that I am a woman and spits out a pile of suggestions that all seem to involve divorce, rebuilding a life, getting into the dating pool after many years out, and second chances at love. Not my cup of tea.
DeleteTry Dorothy Parker. Black humour and biting sarcasm but so very observant.
ReplyDeleteI have read her before, and she can be very caustic. It's a skill that I sometimes find myself wishing I had. I can be sarcastic, but it is not an effective sort of sarcasm that makes a point. That woman had it in spades.
DeleteBill Bryson. Laugh out loud funny, but with meat. Margaret
ReplyDeleteI've read a lot of Bill Bryson. He is a funny, funny guy. In a Sunburned Country was great fun. My husband liked A Walk In the Woods.
DeleteYes, I was going to suggest Bryson too!
DeleteYes, Bryson is funny if he's new to you. He gets old fast if you read too many of his books.
ReplyDeleteHe's not new to me. He is a good one.
DeleteCarl Hiassen
ReplyDeleteGood choice. I couldn't remember his name:)
DeleteI hadn't heard of him. I just ordered Hoot, the fourth book in my shopping cart, which qualified me for free shipping and 20% off. 4 books for $17.45. Thanks everyone!
DeleteDitto Bill Bryson. Double-ditto on ”funny” depending on the person and time. Two that woke husband up with my unsuppressible giggles on the first read but not so much years later were McCarthy’s Bar and Sex Lives of Cannibals (not what it sounds like, and probably best appreciated by twenty-somethings, but still!) Parts of Jenny Lawson’s first book Let’s Pretend This Never Happened. Fletch books, can’t remember the author’s name. Looking forward to seeing others’ suggestions! Dee
ReplyDeleteI've never heard of any of these books. Where have I been???? (Scribbling furiously in little notebook.)
Delete"My First Five Husbands...And the Ones Who Got Away" by Rue McClanahan, 2007, author who played in Blanche in The Golden Girls. True adventures of her love lives.
ReplyDelete"If You Ask Me (And of Course You Won't)" by Betty White, 2011. Great stories about her career and love.
"Saturday Night Widows: The Adventures of Six Friends Remaking Their Lives" by Becky Aikman, 2013. A true story of the podcast type of story with very different women and how they took side trips and extensive vacations to recreate themselves. Can be serious with recovering chapters, but many hilarious stories.
Then there's always "View from a Broad" by Bette Midler, not exactly a Sesame Street photo book!
Linda in Kansas
Bette Midler has always been an outspoken woman. I like that about her. I may have read Betty White, but I will have to take a look at the book the next time that I'm at the library. Saturday Night Widows sounds like something to take a look at as well. I'm writing these suggestions down.
DeleteP.G. Wodehouse is still funny.
ReplyDeleteI came here to say P.G. Wodehouse!
DeleteHow funny. When I was looking up humorous books, he was the first one that popped up. 'Thank you, Jeeves', to be precise. He is another one that I'll have to look for in the library.
DeleteI just added that book to my order. Thanks!
DeleteA fun mystery series is Southern Sisters by Anne George. Murder on a Bad Hair Day is hilarious (as is every single one of them).
ReplyDeleteYou know, I think I saw one of those displayed in the library. I'm going to have to look into those.
DeleteI LOVED that series!!
DeleteErma Bombeck, The Grass s Always Greener Over the Septc Tank. She was hilarious and popular maybe 40 yrs ago. When I saw your assignment this was the first book I thought of. And Dave Barry. MS Nell
ReplyDeleteWow! That was a blast from the past. I had forgotten about her. She really tickled my funny bone.
DeleteThe Diary of a Nobody, by George and Weedon Grossmith - an very old book but it still never fails to make me laugh.
ReplyDeleteOr Three Men in a Boat by Jerome K Jerome, not a favourite with me but a classic of its time.
Welp. Another add to a new cart. You guys are a terrible influence. Don't stop.
DeleteMcCarthy's Bar by Pete Mccarthy. It's about West Cork and it is hilarious.
ReplyDeleteOh dear. I've started a new cart on the Betterworld books site. You also reminded me that a book I've been meaning to get is 'Your Guide to Not Getting Murdered in a Quaint English Village.
DeleteI very unwisely read 'A Very English Scandal', by John Preston - a true crime non-fiction novel - on the bus... The early chapters reducing me to tears of loud and uncontrollable laughter. Whilst not a comic book, elements in it are stomach holdingly funny (A humour cauterising remark if ever there was...) For me it was all made funnier by the involvement in the story of our local priest... If you were to read it, you could then watch Peter Cook's satirical take of the Judge's summation, which involved remarkably little satire!!
ReplyDeleteCaroline xxxx
I watched that on television. That was crazy, and it was even crazier when you realized that it was based on a true story. I never thought to read the book though.
DeleteSomeone Elses Shoes by JoJo Moyes
ReplyDeleteAdded to my list! Thanks.
Delete"Me Talk Pretty One Day", by David Sedaris. Actually, ANY of his books, laugh out loud funny!
ReplyDeleteYou know, I've heard of that book, and I heard it was funny. I'd forgotten about that.
DeleteSalads? That's the treat? 😊
ReplyDeleteI could happily eat salads for the rest of my days. I do love a good salad, and this was a good 'un. The real treat was being able to sit and chat. (Don't you judge me, AC!)
DeleteI was going to mention A Walk In the Woods but saw you already mentioned it. My second recommendation would be one of several Tim Cahill books. He was a travel writer for Outside magazine for many years.
ReplyDeleteJaguars Ripped My Flesh
A Wolverine Is Eating My Leg
Road Fever (perhaps my favorite of them all)
Pecked to Death by Ducks
Not So Funny When It Happened
I actually have heard of him. I don't think I have ever read him though. Not So Funny When it Happened sounds as if it could be the story of my life. Thanks for the suggestion. I've added him to my list.
DeleteForest Gump, by Winston Groom. The book the movie was based on. I read that book out loud to my husband once on a trip and there were parts that I could not read because I was laughing so hard.
ReplyDeleteI have read that book. It is a funny one.
DeleteOne of those times I found the book and movie to be very different, but equally entertaining!
DeleteLucky Jim, by Kingsley Amis, is wonderfully funny.
ReplyDeleteOops. Didn’t mean to be Anonymous. I’m Georgia, and I love Lucky Jim!
ReplyDeleteOh dear. I do that all the time. Off to look up Lucky Jim.
DeleteHi,
ReplyDeleteHow about Roddy Doyle? I love any of his books as they are so funny and down to earth. Can be a bit rude at times but remind me so much of my childhood as my Granny and her family were from Northern Ireland and just like many of the characters in the books
Lesleyxx
Never heard of Roddy Doyle. I am off to have a look at him, as well.
DeleteAny of the Gervase Phinn books about being a school inspector in Yorkshire are hilarious - I used to listen to them driving into work and walked in, with tears running down my face from laughing quite a few times. They're what I call nice easy books, no bad language and about down to earth people. Anne, Shropshire
ReplyDeleteAnother series I have never heard of before! I wonder if our library has them? Thanks, Anne.
DeleteHumor really is subjective and I see lots of good suggestions in the comments. Two authors I usually find entertaining are Fannie Flagg and Mary Roach. It just depends on what kind of humor you're looking for.
ReplyDeleteI've read Fannie Flagg before, but not Mary Roach. I'll look more into her books. I have 7 books on the way, AND I have a nice list for when I am finished with those.
Delete"Lake of the Ozarks: My Surreal Summers in a Vanishing America". I checked it out because I've been to Lake of the Ozarks so many time, but it has a lot of laughs. I told Cliff, who was born near there, and he laughed too. And it's all true.
ReplyDeleteThat sound like another one to write down for future reference.
DeleteBianca Bosker!
ReplyDeleteI have never heard of her. But she reminded me of another author: Ally Brosh. Hyperbole and a H.alf nearly killed me. I have added Bianca to my list.
DeleteI read Vera Wong's Unsolicited Advice for Murderers which a blogger recommended and thought it was a fun read. Hmmm... But was it funny? Hmmm.. Sort of. But I really did enjoy it. Gosh... I guess I just haven't read many funny books.
ReplyDeleteAmazon gives you a 37 page preview. It was very funny. I have added it to my list.
DeleteShe also wrote Dial A for Aunties. I have it on Hold at the library. :-)
DeleteDon Paterson, Toy Fights, especially if you are interested in the music scene. I read it for his clever and amusing use of language. Example: His description of the Scottish accordion as an “out-of-tune tartan fairground nightmare”
ReplyDeleteHa! I just finished Puckoon, by Spike Milligan, and that's what really grabbed me about his writing. He was quite clever with his words! I will look up Toy Fights right now.
Delete